HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Calhoun County, Arkansas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Calhoun County is $1,011 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,011
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$910 to $1,112
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Arkansas
13th of 75
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Calhoun moves to $1,084. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Calhoun actually rent for?
Search any address in Calhoun for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $724 | $652 to $796 | $28,960 | $13.92/hr | +2.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $771 | $694 to $848 | $30,840 | $14.83/hr | +3.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,011 | $910 to $1,112 | $40,440 | $19.44/hr | +3.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,212 | $1,091 to $1,333 | $48,480 | $23.31/hr | +3.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,425 | $1,283 to $1,568 | $57,000 | $27.40/hr | +3.9% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,639 | $1,475 to $1,803 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,853 | $1,668 to $2,038 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,066 | $1,859 to $2,273 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,280 | $2,052 to $2,508 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Calhoun, that runs from $724 for a studio up to $1,425 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Calhoun sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Hampton included.
Among Arkansas's 75 counties, Calhoun ranks 13th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 15% above the state median of $880 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 4,773 people live here, 75th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 71766 (Thornton) and $1,040 in 71744 (Hampton), with the 3 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Calhoun somewhere between $910 and $1,112. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,011 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,440 a year. Put another way, $19 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($910) | HAP at 100% ($1,011) | HAP at 110% ($1,112) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $160 | $261 | $362 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($975) to FY 2026 ($1,011). Since FY 2020 it's up 49% in total, about 6.9% a year. The Arkansas median moved up 4% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $493 | $531 | $677 | $844 | $976 | — |
| FY 2021 | $538 | $558 | $735 | $914 | $1,059 | +8.6% |
| FY 2022 | $549 | $563 | $741 | $916 | $1,060 | +0.8% |
| FY 2023 | $608 | $617 | $812 | $988 | $1,155 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $678 | $696 | $915 | $1,106 | $1,291 | +12.7% |
| FY 2025 | $710 | $743 | $975 | $1,175 | $1,372 | +6.6% |
| FY 2026 | $724 | $771 | $1,011 | $1,212 | $1,425 | +3.7% |
| FY 2027 | $771 | $829 | $1,084 | $1,292 | $1,520 | +7.2% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,011 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $724 for a studio, $771 for one bedroom, $1,212 for three and $1,425 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Calhoun actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Calhoun for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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